Common Inactive Ingredients in Prescription Drugs

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You

If you regularly take medication, you may be ingesting more than just what your doctor prescribed. Many medications contain the pain reliever acetaminophen, a substance that even in low doses can cause liver damage. Prescription drugs also contain a wide range of fillers, artificial flavors, coatings and other compounds that aren’t good for your health.

The Compounding Pharmacy of America provides medications without all of the extra ingredients. Here’s what you need to know about what you might be taking.

Inactive Ingredients Aren’t Innocuous

Pills, liquid medications, inhalants and suppositories have active ingredients that target symptoms and underlying conditions. They also have added substances called excipients that make pills more substantial, sweeten syrups to cover the medication’s taste or help the drug spread throughout your system. Some of these substances are toxic, which is especially concerning if you take medication every day.

Pharmaceutical companies say the harmful substances in medication are in such small quantities they don’t cause damage, but they cause reactions in new patients every day. Pharmacists often classify excipients as proteins, alcohol/ethanol or sweeteners.

Click on any of the three following options to learn more about that additive (or group of additives):

Aspartame and Saccharine

Pharmaceutical companies add artificial sweeteners to drugs to make them taste better. Some individuals can’t swallow pills or prefer to take them in liquid form.

Aspartame is a neurotoxin and carcinogen. Many people who ingest aspartame report headaches, with some patients saying it triggers migraines.

Some reports link aspartame to:

Panic attacks

Mood changes

Dizziness

Nausea

Memory impairment

Drug labels don’t always list aspartame as an ingredient, but if it is present, the manufacturer will often notify patients that it contains phenylalanine.

Johnson and Johnson, Glaxo Pharmaceuticals, Equate and other major labs use it in prescription drugs. Aspartame is an ingredient in antibiotics like chewable Amoxicillin and Penicillin oral suspension. It also comes in many over the counter medications, such as Singulair, Pepcid and Zantac.

Many oral medications also contain saccharine. For years, manufacturers had to print a warning on saccharine products stating it might be hazardous. This sweetener has no nutritional value and cannot be digested.

Proteins

Many people are allergic to the protein found in eggs. Some vaccines, anesthetics, antidepressants and other medications contain albumin made from eggs, such as:

Synvisc-One – an injectable osteoarthritis treatment

ProQuad – a vaccine that can cause anaphylactic reactions

Fluzone – a flu vaccine that can cause a severe allergic reaction

Alcohol or Ethanol

Alcohol is a solvent in many liquid medications. It can cause harmful interactions with other medications that lead to:

Other Common Inactive Ingredients in Prescription and OTC Drugs

There’s a staggering list of inactive ingredients the FDA approves to put in medication. Here are just a few of the ones you need to know about.

Acetone is a flammable liquid that has no color. Tiny amounts occur naturally in urine. Pharmaceutical companies use it as a solvent. It is one of the primary ingredients in nail polish remover.

Acetone can be found in:

Allegra-D 24 Hour 180 mg

Many forms of omeprazole

Tramadol hydrochlorid

And many more medication

Aluminum oxide is a white powder in medications like acetaminophen, OxyContin and Viagra. The FDA doesn’t classify it as a carcinogen, but workers continually exposed to dust containing aluminum oxide have suffered extreme pulmonary reactions such as emphysema and fibrosis. Short-term exposure causes breathing difficulties and eye irritation. Long-term exposure impacts the brain and nerves.

Butylparaben is a flavoring, preservative and suspension agent for cosmetics and medications. Parabens mimic estrogen in the body. Studies have found parabens in breast tumors. Extra-strength Tylenol and Benadryl allergy “kapgels” contain butylparaben.

Hydrochloric acid is a clear solution created by mixing hydrogen chloride and water. It is highly irritating and corrosive to the eyes, skin and mucous membranes. Many forms of the antidepressant Budeprion contain hydrochloric acid.

Lactose is sugar from milk that helps pharmaceutical companies compress tablets. People who are lactose intolerant may not be able to digest lactose, and those who are allergic will likely have a reaction.

Examples of prescriptions containing lactose include:

Viagra

Xanax

Lorazepam

A Better Pill to Swallow

It’s possible to get your prescription meds without inactive ingredients and harmful additives. The Compounding Pharmacy of America doesn’t fill your prescription with premade formulas. We custom make medications for each patient, allowing us to omit ingredients that are harmful to your health.

Our compounding pharmacy can adjust the strength, flavor, ingredients and/or delivery method, one patient at a time. Get in touch with one of our compounding pharmacists today to learn more.